INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Double-humped camels will now be used for transportation and patrolling by the Indian Army in eastern Ladakh's treacherous terrain
This plan originally from three years ago will come into effect amid the India-China standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).Areas
like Daulat Beg Oldie or DBO and Depsang where these camels will be deployed at more than 17,000 feet are among locations where armies of
both countries have mobilized in great numbers.The animal is also known as Bactrian camel and is found in the Nubra valley of Ladakh at
heights of over 12,000 feet
It is natural for the terrain
These camels are being reared at the defence institute of high altitude research in Leh by the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO).Among those reared and trained is young Rangoli, a female camel born to Chinku and Tinku as part of the breeding programme undertaken
by the institute in Leh.After carrying out trials and doing a comparative study with a single-humped camel brought from Rajasthan, it was
found that the double-humped camel is better suited for the task at hand.Breeding of the camels will be done in Leh to ensure that the Army
gets the required numbers
A source said current estimate is that of about 50 such camels will be commissioned for the Army."The double-humped camels are best suited
They can carry loads of 170 kgs at more than 17,000 feet which is much more than the ponies that are being used as of now
They can survive without water for at least 72 hours," said Col Manoj Batra, a veterinary officer of the Indian Army."These will be used for
transportation and patrolling and should be handed over to the Army in the next five-six months," he added.Double-humped camels being reared
by DRDO in Leh (Photo Credits: Abhishek Bhalla/India Today)The trials for these animals were carried out on Daulat Beg Oldie to test the
abilities, officials said.The double-humped camel was used as a material part of the trade for transport on the traditional silk route
between Tibet and Ladakh.A breed called Zanskar ponies were being used until now but it was felt that they are not as swift-footed for sandy
The ponies, however, are good for climbing mountains and can carry loads of up to 40-50 kgs much lesser than the double-humped camel.With
numbers restricted to only 350-400 in Ladakh, the double-humped camels are rare.The breeding will ensure that numbers keep increasing as per
the requirement and that old ones can be replaced with the newborns.The army is looking at enhancing its logistics and patrolling
capabilities in the remotest of areas where there has been tension which includes DBO and Depsang plains.The project was introduced soon
after the Doklam faceoff of 2016 between the Indian and Chinese armies on the India-Tibet-Bhutan tri-junction in Sikkim.
